Alice Muslin Obituary

Dear Jenny -- I was so sad to learn of your mother's death. My thoughts are with you, and my hope is that your sweet memories will be a comfort to you.



With warm regards,



Mitzi Walchak

Dear Jenny,

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of your mother. I had spoken to her the night before. She had called me concerning the finalization of a successful limited partnership we were both in. Our conversation was a happy one. We spoke mostly about you. She was so proud of you and your accomplishments that she was literally busting at the seams when she talked about you. I will always remember her as a happy and sincere person who shall forever be in my heart.

May G_d bless you and grant you peace.

Twenty-three years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Alice when she was providing supervision for those of us conducting psychotherapy groups at the practice where I was a young and relatively inexperienced social worker. A few years later when Bernie Dyme and I started our practice, Perspectives, Alice was someone whom we refused to leave behind. She remained a consultant and friend to us. We shared our joys and our sorrows over the years and I always looked forward, year after year to reading about the globetrotting experiences of Alice and Jenny. I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Alice’s death last night.



Alice is an important part of who I am as a therapist and as a person (these are, of course not separate!) Her kindness, warmth, honesty and empathy, not to mention her deep wisdom facilitated growth in others throughout her life. I know that she facilitated my growth. She will always be in my heart.



My deepest sympathy to Jenny, the Muslin and Thompson families, as well as the countless friends, clients, and colleagues whose lives she touched.

Twenty-three years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Alice when she was providing supervision for those of us conducting psychotherapy groups at the practice where I was a young and relatively inexperienced social worker. A few years later when Bernie Dyme and I started our practice, Perspectives, Alice was someone whom we refused to leave behind. She remained a consultant and friend to us. We shared our joys and our sorrows over the years and I always looked forward, year after year to reading about the globetrotting experiences of Alice and Jenny. I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Alice’s death last night.



Alice is an important part of who I am as a therapist and as a person (these are, of course not separate!) Her kindness, warmth, honesty and empathy, not to mention her deep wisdom facilitated growth in others throughout her life. I know that she facilitated my growth. She will always be in my heart.



My deepest sympathy to Jenny, the Muslin and Thompson families, as well as the countless friends, clients, and colleagues whose lives she touched.

Alice was part of a group of Evanston mothers who would bring their children together so that we could play and be a community. I have memories of being a little girl on the porch of 720 Michigan Ave. bobbing for apples on Halloween. Alice was a good mom.

I MET ALICE ONCE AT HER FATHER'S WEDDING TO MARGE, SHE WAS ENGAGING AND SWEET. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH HER FAMILY AND LARUE'S.("TOMMY")

WITH LOVE,

SUSAN

Alice was my psychotherapist, off and on, for about 8 years. She guided me through two major relationships, and it is safe to say that I would not have found either of them nearly as rewarding without her guidance. It would be a disservice to her to say that I won’t be happy without her, for fostering that kind of dependence was never her modus operandi.



She was that rare professional who combined exhaustive training, research, and experience with a genuine menschlichkeit to create an empathy that bordered on the paranormal. She had the ability to hear a brief story or remark about a character in my life and not only remember it years later, but also extrapolate from it to capture the essence of that character to help me discover nugget after nugget of insight. I also got the sense that she really thought about me between sessions and even during the years we weren’t seeing each other. I got that sense because she told me so and meant it.



Alice taught me to strive for that difficult balance between empathy and authenticity. She urged me not just to understand why someone feels a certain way, but also to FEEL the way that person feels, and let those feelings guide my behavior. On the other hand, she cautioned me not to be such a slave to another’s feelings that I deny my OWN feelings to the point of losing myself. That’s a tough balance to strike, and Alice was a master at helping me negotiate it.



As much as Alicia and I loved Alice as a person, we often talked about her as though she were a great restaurant; we wanted all our friends and family to try her, while at the same time we felt as though we were the luckiest couple alive for having her to ourselves once each week. 60 years young and still rocking to the Stones, laughing at the Osbournes, and fighting for trees in Evanston. Any reference we made, if she didn’t know it, she would by next week.



We were always at our best with Alice, and it will be a challenge to maintain that best behavior without her weekly tune-ups. While the world wonders “what would Jesus do” or even “what would Jesus drive,” we will honor and thrive from Alice’s memory by asking, “What would Alice say?”



I am going to marry Alicia, and it is almost unthinkable that Alice will not be here to witness the union she was so instrumental in creating. The suddenness of her passing is excruciating to us, and we can only imagine the pain felt by Jenny and the rest of her family. If we may be of service or comfort in any way, we beg of you to allow us the privilege.



With deep love and sadness,



Devin Arkin

As a colleague of Alice's who has worked with her closely in the last several years, I will miss a brilliant and caring therapist, a wonderful collaborator and truly special person. My Sympathies.

In this hour of sadness, may the sincere sympathy of your friends help to comfort you.

May the deepest of sympathy go to the Muslin and Thompson families,

with the loss of the beloved mother of Jenny and the devoted daughter and sister of the Thompson family.



With warmest thoughts,

Leone and Ted Annel